One Shot: Summer Lights

Fireflies are tiny creatures, but seeing them brings back childhood memories of summertime. These synchronous fireflies (Photinus carolinus) appear each June for several weeks at the Birmingham home of Susan and Scott Gilpin, flying low, with the males blinking in unison in flight, with females blinking back from trees and leaves. This species of firefly is known to be rare outside of the Great Smokey Mountains. They prefer ivy-covered ground, a tree canopy, and a hollow area.